I have come to realize that I need far more that adulation...not that I ever get it! What I mean is that when people tell me, oh your work is wonderful, as usual, etc that sounds really nice but doesn't give me the feedback I really need. I was talking to Fr. Rob today (who is not only my spiritual guide but also my art guide as the two are connected!) and I realized that what I need in a response from people is about what they get out of it...just how does it impact them? How do they respond? Not necessarily an art critique but more about a personal response.
Last week I went to my religion class and it was my turn to do worship. I brought along nine little pieces of my work and asked people to meditate on them and consider God and how creativity and God might all come together. The responses were just wonderful. They were able to see all sorts of interesting things in those little pieces.
Matthew Fox, in his book, Creativity, has so many points that I have my own little book full of quotes from his book. I also have quotes all around me, not just by him but by other people as well. They also show up in my art journal for me to contemplate...but I'm running on...Matthew Fox says "Dance with the rhythms of creativity, don't sit on the sidelines seeking to control it."
Right now I am working on including some kind of message via words in the monoprints. I showed Fr. Rob and he really helped me to understand that putting a string of text doesn't do it but the words (and not all the words need to be there to get the message across) need to be an intergral part of the design itself. Duh, why didn't I remember that?
So back I am. I was working with part of a quote which said "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" (Can you tell Easter was just here?) So, those are just part of the words but I put them all on. So, in thinking about what Rob said, I can reduce it down even futher to "The Word" and "lives" both worked into the design and not just popping out at you...something more contemplative. Which then brings up all sorts of ideas for collaging onto this fabric. Ah, the mind is starting to race.
Another quote from good ole Matthew Fox "Imagination takes us to nothingness, to emptiness, to what is not yet and therefore to what might still be." Give that some thought!
2 comments:
Liz: I love what Fr. Rob said about not using a string of text but the words that can convey the message on their own merits. My eighth deadly sin challenge is using text and this will be helpful. I need Matthew Fox'x book - seems to be full of great quotes for inspiration.
Liz,
Spirituality and Art, my favorite topics! Another good book is "Creative Spirituality, the Way of the Artist" by Robert Withnow. He interviews numerous artists (writers, painters, poets, musicians)and writes about their responses to this topic. One idea I particularly like is that "artists are the theologians of our time." Hmmm, I might have to blog about this. Jen
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